1. Field of The Invention
This invention relates to a connector assembly for electrical components which provides the ability to connect the components to other components which are in a different plane. The assembly is particularly relevant to busbars in multiconductor, three phase systems.
2. Background of The Invention
It is often necessary in the electric power generating industry to connect two components together which are lying in different planes. This arises regarding connection of busbars. An electrical busway consisting of three busbars per phase and one set of three busbars for the neutral line is commonly used in the industry. However, different configurations of busways may be required by customers. As a result, a busway is often a custom-built product designed to meet specific customer requirements. In many cases, these requirements necessitate that the bus be rotated or twisted into a different plane in order to clear an obstacle, redirect the phasing or connect the busway to some other type of electrical equipment.
Currently, the method generally used to accomplish this rotation is to employ a number of brazed and bent copper connectors inside of a junction box in which the busway is housed. Many different copper connectors are required to physically connect every busbar of each phase to every busbar for the corresponding phase of the other system. For example, in three-busbar-per-phase busways, twelve such connectors are required--three per phase and three for neutral--to be placed in the junction box. It is often the case that none of the twelve connectors are exactly alike. Each connector requires separate detailed drafting and must be custom fabricated.
The fabrication of the brazed and bent connectors is extremely difficult. It is almost impossible to keep to a required dimension after the copper is bent and brazed together. This can create a great deal of difficulty when the connectors are assembled in the unit. Each connector must also have an insulating material applied to it.
Overall, the brazed and bent connectors currently in use can be cumbersome and difficult to make. They can also present assembly problems, and they can have very limited application. Therefore, there remains a need for a connecting device which is simple to make and which can be used universally for each busbar of the particular busway used in the application. There remains a need for a device which provides the capability to easily effect a change in the orientation of the busway.